


just across the stream

by angelsheart



Category: Twisted-Wonderland (Video Game)
Genre: F/M, M/M, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-17 07:00:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29467641
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angelsheart/pseuds/angelsheart
Summary: While spending the afternoon in their favorite hidden spot just outside of Night Raven College, Yuu suddenly hears a curious voice and decides to follow it.
Relationships: Neige LeBlanche/Yuu | Player
Comments: 3
Kudos: 65





	1. Chapter 1

The warmth of the sun was resting gently upon your arm in an thin strip, the rest you covered easily by branches of low hanging trees filled with lush leaves. It was your favorite spot to rest on campus, just by a small, stone well. Past the clearing of trees was a thin brook, of which you used to splash your arms whenever the heat became too overwhelming. 

The thick, black uniforms of Night Raven College weren’t exactly ideal for the warmer months. Were you given a choice, you might have attended the neighboring school instead... their uniforms seemed more to your liking, anyway. Your arms stretched behind you before they launched forward, heaving you into a sitting position. You had slept for a solid half hour...an adequate nap after lunchtime. 

You rose, heading over to the small stream to dip your hands into. Maybe your feet would go in too, if you were particularly inclined. It was always a pain to put your socks back on afterwards, though. The light sound of the running water was comforting, and disguised your voice as you quietly began to sing. It was one of your favorite hobbies, and you could easily improvise a tune. Away from prying ears, of course. 

Socks and shoes were left discarded on a nearby rock as you waded in, the growing volume of the water as you treaded through it allowing your voice to slip out more easily. 

It was such a beautiful day. Heavy sun ran through the trees, allowing you to see what usually floated in the air without detection. There was a steady hum of noises from the surrounding landscape. The cry of crickets, birdsong, the rustling of foliage. Its presence was so stagnant that one could almost forget it was there. 

That was, until a squirrel ran from behind a tree and up to the edge of the stream. And another... and...

There seemed to be a whole host of animals approaching now, leading you to back up in surprise until feet reached dry ground. Were they running from something? They didn’t seem to be particularly panicked. 

It was then that you saw the glimpse of a figure between tree and bush, walking slowly while the herd of creatures followed suit. Your song had long stopped, and you soon realized, after the sound of your blood pumping in your ears had died down, it was replaced by another. 

It was a beautiful voice. High and clear, like that of glass, yet with a bit of sweetness to it. Words punctuated by bird call... no, mimicked... was this voice singing to the animals, or with them? You stood still, intrigued. It was true, the voice and the birds were doing some sort of duet. Clearly this person must have some sort of ability to control animals... what an interesting gift. And an even more interesting way to use it. 

Despite the slow pace of the voice’s source, it had become quite distanced now, and entranced, you began to follow it. You couldn’t quite make out words, the sound of the brook interrupting them. Suddenly you were feeling a bit less grateful to the volume of the rushing water. An idea crept into your head... should you cross it?

Footwear still abandoned (somewhere far off, by now), you waded in the water once more, surfacing now on the other side. 

The song became louder and clearer, your legs moving of their own accord in its direction, the only thing to drown it out now being the sound of your quickened pulse—

“Ahh!”

A gasp interrupted the tune, animals scattering into every direction. The sound of rodents scuttling into trees, the flaps of bird wing, and prances of paws broke your daze, and you were now standing in line with the source of the enchanting song. 

You blinked, your vision beginning to settle as you came to your senses.

“Oh, I’m so sorry! I didn’t mean to scare you,” you said, voice strained with nerves, hand clutching onto the front of your stuffy black jacket. 

The person standing before you seemed to be similarly affected, if not even more so. He had gripped onto the trunk of a tree that stood behind him for stability. 

Slowly, you began to come to some sort of conclusion as to who you were staring at. He wore a bright white uniform, nothing shy of extravagant in its construction. This must be a student of the neighboring school, Royal Sword Academy. 

Suddenly, he regained his footing, dusting off his palms on the tops of his thighs. “Don’t worry!” he replied apologetically, voice labored, yet eyes nearly shutting as he smiled widely. “You didn’t scare me too badly!”

Short black hair, pale skin, and bright cheeks and lips... you recognized this face. He wasn’t just a student of the neighboring school... he happened to be their most notable one. Your body froze in embarrassment. He must have thought you were a crazed fan who spent the entire afternoon stalking him around. Or maybe he still thinks that. 

“But I scared your animals!” you replied, trying fruitlessly to calm your voice. 

“Animals are scared easily, and...they’re not exactly mine.” He replied with a shrug, more to himself than anyone. 

“Still...” you started. Right. Priority number one was to let this guy know you weren’t following him... intentionally. “I was just walking in the stream, and I heard a voice... And suddenly there were so many animals at the edge of the water, all trailing after you! Not just that, but they were...singing with you! How did you get them to do that?”

Well, maybe you were following him intentionally. But not for the reasons that he may have presumed. 

“Oh, that?” he started, as if it was hardly out of the ordinary. Yet suddenly, as if he only just realized the point of conversation, his eyes went wide, posture stiffening. “Well, it’s...a bit of a secret...”

“Is it your unique magic?” you asked, flatly. 

“How did you know?” he responded, eyes growing even larger. 

That was the thing about going to a magic school. Each person had their own special ability, which they often used for their own personal gain. At least at your school. You had no idea about how things went at other places. You couldn’t really think of a nefarious use of the ability to sing with adorable woodland animals that didn’t quickly approach hilarity. 

“Just a guess.”

“I’m sorry, but...can I please ask you to not tell anyone?” he spoke, clearly concerned , as there was a tremble in his voice. “It would be kind of bad if people found out...”

You concluded that he assumed that you already knew who he was, which was fine by you. He was correct, after all. 

“I don’t know...” you started, walking slowly to his side. “I could probably gain a lot in exchange for information regarding Neige Leblanche’s unique magic...”

Neige gasped. Not only was he the most popular singer at Royal Sword Academy, but he had quite a bit of notoriety at Night Raven College as well. He was probably the most famous singer in the country, now that you thought about it. You could likely get tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of madol in exchange for confirmation of Neige’s unique magic. It was a constant source of speculation in the press...not that you were keeping up with it.

“I’m just joking!” you replied, not exactly certain of the validity of the statement. “You should really be more careful with the places you use it, though. I’m here almost every day, and this place isn’t too far from my school...”

Neige breathed a sigh of relief, again resting on the tree behind him. “Okay... you really have to promise me you wont tell anyone, right?”

Neige held up his pinky. You stared at it incredulously. This third year student, no, national celebrity...wanted to make a pinky promise with you? It was almost kind of cute in its absurdity. 

You thought about it for a moment. Looking at Neige’s face, his large, long lashed brown eyes filled with worry... it made you regret the thought of possibly betraying his trust. Your pinky was suddenly wrapped around his. 

“I promise.”

His lips curled into a sweet smile. “Good!” he said, a small laugh after his words. He shook his hand assuredly, taking yours with it. You felt yourself flush as you retracted your wrist back to where it rested on your chest. You could see why he was so famous. He definitely had certain charm to him. 

“Hey...I have an idea,” you started, looking around you at the small stream. “If you want to come back here to use your unique magic, I can make sure that no one else ever comes here to see it.”

“Really? You could do that?” Neige asked, suddenly brimming with excitement. “That would be great! You know, it’s hard to find places to go by myself sometimes... especially with animals, so I would really love that!”

This guy was too innocent. For all he knew, you could have a crowd of people show up tomorrow afternoon in hopes of hearing Neige Leblanche sing. Not that you would do that of course. Right?

Right. 

“It’s no problem! The only person you’ll have to deal with here is me...”

You didn’t intend on giving this place up to Neige. You had been coming here for a long time, and it was the perfect place to relax and listen to... no... to sing by yourself. Right. 

“I think I can deal with that.” Neige smiled, offering his hand. “I’m Neige Leblanche. Can I ask for your name?”

You tilted your head to the side. He’s introducing himself now? After... no, never mind. Maybe he’s just being polite. 

“Please, just call me Yuu,” you smiled, grabbing Neige’s hand within your own. You shook it slowly, taking a moment to observe his face, etching it into your memory.

“I have a class shortly, so I’ll have to get going,” Neige said as he retreated, raising his arm in a slow wave. It was nice meeting you, Yuu!”

“It was nice meeting you too,” you replied, mirroring the gesture. As Neige began to leave, you quickly spoke up. 

“See you tomorrow!” you called. 

“Okay!” Neige turned to say, hand still raised. 

A smile crept up on your lips as you watched him brush past the trees, waiting until he disappeared behind one to tread back across the stream. 

But wait...where did you leave your shoes?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I’ve never read a reader/MC insert fic in my whole life let alone written one but I love Neige so dearly so here we are. 
> 
> Also please support Neige’s seiyuu Takuma Nagatsuka, especially in his most important role as dewey duck in jp ducktales. It’s a requirement for reading this fic; I’m charging admission and will totally check. Jk...unless...?
> 
> Follow me on twitter! @angel_elegy ♥︎


	2. Chapter 2

“Uhh...Yuu? You okay?”

You looked up at Ace from the table, swallowing down the oversized bite of spaghetti that you had rabidly twisted around your fork and shoved in your mouth. 

It took a few seconds to chew and respond, holding up your finger to assure him the question didn’t fall of deaf ears. 

“Oh, I’m fine! Just a little bit hungry today.”

You swirled the fork between your fingers again, eyes focusing on the task. There were maybe three bites left, two if you pushed it. 

“...Right...” Ace replied, turning to whisper something to Deuce where he sat by his side. 

You rolled your eyes. You always told Ace that you hated it when he did that. Today you really couldn’t bother with the argument, though. 

Finally your meal was finished, legs straightening under the table and hands quickly grabbing the edges of your lunch tray. 

“I’ll catch up with you guys in class today, see you later!”

You made sure not to spill anything as you briskly walked to return your plate, waiting until you were outside to break into a run. 

It was a bit cloudy today, the sky significantly darker than that of the previous day. Not the best weather, although everyone else at Night Raven College seemed to be partial to it. Maybe it was because colder weather was more comfortable in their thick uniforms. Or maybe it was because they went to a school filled with fantasy villains. Both seemed plausible. 

Your breath ragged in your lungs, you found yourself collapsing onto the grass next to the stone well. The chilled air didn’t do much for the cause, each inhale making it feel as though a dagger was stuck in your throat. 

Closing your eyes, your back fell onto the soft ground. You rested for a few minutes, yet the usual drowsiness you felt after eating was nowhere to be found. Your pulse that had quickened due to running didn’t seem to slow down either, despite your breaths evening out. You felt your wrists tremble from time to time, limbs feeling strangely weak. 

So you were nervous. That was to be expected, right? What if he didn’t show up? What if he did show up, but he looked annoyed when you went up to talk to him? What if he brought some of his friends from Royal Sword? What if he sent some of his little animals to attack you? Well, that last one didn’t really seem like something Neige would do. But it was a possibility. 

After a few more minutes of going through hypotheticals, you let out a quivering breath, pushing your palms into the grass to lift yourself into a sitting position. You opened your eyes, only to be met by an accompanying pair, staring straight at you. 

“Ahh!” You screamed, instinctively crawling backwards. The deer that was just inches from your face broke out into the opposite direction, just as you heard a laugh and the sound of someone coming out from behind a tree. 

You looked up to see Neige’s smiling face, looking innocently down at you from where you sat helplessly on the ground. 

“What was that for?” you said, barely gaining the will to begin to hoist yourself up. 

“For scaring me yesterday,” Neige replied cheerfully, extending a hand for you to grab onto. “And I didn’t exactly tell the deer to do that. It was just curious.”

“Sure you didn’t,” you replied, a smile betraying your words as you hooked your hand around his to be pulled up.

You dusted spare bits of grass and dirt off of your pants, noticing the dry hems of Neige’s as you bent down. 

“Hey...how did you get across the stream without getting wet?” you asked. You had been here a good number of times and never saw a clear pathway across. “No, let me guess. You got some turtles to form perfect stepping stones across the water and then walked over them.”

Neige tilted his head to the side, confused for a moment, before coming down in laughter once more. 

“I think you’re misjudging the abilities of my unique magic, Yuu. I found a fallen tree just over to the left that I was able to walk across. I can show you, if you’d like?”

“Sure, it’ll make my life easier.” 

You began trailing behind Neige, who had started to emit a quiet hum of a tune. It was simple and sweet, like that of a nursery rhyme. Squirrels started to climb down from their trees and race along with your footsteps. Bluebirds flew ahead, chirping quietly. After a few minutes, what you could assume was the very deer that had scared you earlier joined the pack. 

You didn’t think you could ever get used to this. It was like a small army followed Neige wherever he went. The animals joyously carried along with his pace, over stone and between bush and under branch. You couldn’t help but wear a smile yourself as the two of you proceeded. 

“I guess I just never went this far east before!” You called out, the both of you finally reaching the fallen tree.

“I guess so!” Neige spoke as he turned around. As his song stopped, the animals began to stall, some of them departing at once. 

The tree was only a few feet from the rushing water. You felt an impulse to head over to it. 

“Be careful!” Neige spoke behind you. “I nearly fell in on my way over here!”

“Oh, don’t worry. I’m used to walking around here; I’m pretty agi-“

Your foot caught on a protruding knot of tree bark, which would have had you face first in the stream had Neige’s hand wrapped around your wrist in the last moment, pulling you upwards. 

“I told you!” he scolded, keeping hold on you until you regained you footing. 

“How about we just sit for a second,” you concluded, settling nearly in the middle of the fallen trunk, gesturing for Neige to join you. It was a nice spot; you wanted to stay for just a bit longer, feet swinging above the clear, rushing water. 

As Neige sat, a smile across his face, you wondered why you were so nervous to meet him earlier. Despite his celebrity status, you seemed to feel oddly calm whenever he was around. 

Neige’s song returned, fish turning around to swim upstream below him. Frogs jumped from rocks and crawled across the tree to his side. A raccoon, of all things, made a spot just at the edge of the grass, looking benevolently up at him. 

It was a tune you recognized, and you felt yourself being compelled to hum along. A strange feeling of warmth bubbled up in your chest as your body swayed from side to side to the music. 

It was something like comfort, or protection. Neige’s voice really was beautiful. You wished you could sit here, listening to it all day... the sound of it so close to your ear making a chill run up your arm. At some point, your own voice came out too, and it sang much more loudly than usual. 

Mid-line, Neige halted suddenly, and your eyes shot open as you followed suit. You looked to your side, where he seemed to be observing you, a strange expression on his face. It was strained, brows knit and eyes weary. 

“Neige, is everything okay?”

“Oh!” he took the black beret off of his hair, shaking his head before replacing it. “Yes, I’m fine! I was just worried about the time, that’s all. 

You grabbed your phone out of your pocket. “12:45. My next class is at 1. How about at Royal Sword?”

“Oh, I think we follow the same schedule! But I do wish we had a longer lunch break. An hour really doesn’t feel like enough...”

“That’s what I’m saying! And apparently some schools only have 40 minutes. I couldn’t do that! And you must be really busy the rest of the day, right?”

“Right... actually, this is my only free time before bed most days. After school I usually have to go straight to work...”

“Today, too?” you asked?

“Yeah... I’m filming a commercial today. But it’s supposed to be really short, so it can’t take too long. But we have to take pictures for billboard advertisements afterwards, too...”

You couldn’t even imagine going through that type of effort on a day to day basis. 

“But, don’t worry!” He spoke, likely after seeing the look of pity on your face. “It’s actually really fun!”

“I’ll take your word for it,” you grinned, knocking into his shoulder. 

“What do you do after school, Yuu?”

Now was probably not the best time to tell him about your stint as the janitor. 

“Well, I... the headmaster here usually asks me for help if theres any issues going on at the school, especially between students. So usually I’m just dealing with that...”

“Woah, so you’re like, the headmaster’s assistant? That’s really cool!”

“You could say that...”

Neige laughed, legs swinging faster below him as the tips of his shoes barely dipped into the stream. 

“Thankfully you found this tree.” you started. “I don’t even want to think about how cold the water would be today.”

“I actually tried to get in it earlier, but I couldn’t take it, so I had to find another way!”

“Yeah, you’re lucky I managed to cross it yesterday. Even in the hot weather it was still cold!”

“Lucky? You nearly scared me half to death!” Neige exclaimed, looking at you with feigned exasperation. 

You shook your head, grinning, moving to stand up. It was probably time to get to class by now. 

Neige followed suit, extending his hand. “I’ll walk you back to your side, I don’t want you to fall again.”

You opened your mouth to protest, shutting it when you realized you really didn’t have anything to debate.

You let go of his grip, jumping off of the trunk and onto the grass, turning around to face Neige. He stood tall, uniform still neatly pressed despite having a half day’s wear, hand only just starting to retract. He really did look impressive, like a prince or a knight. Or a famous celebrity that was preparing to star in a commercial after school. 

“I’ll see you tomorrow, Yuu!” he called, palm spread into a wave, a near mirror image of what you saw yesterday. 

Relief spread throughout your chest after hearing those words. 

“See you!”

Neige nearly skipped across the makeshift bridge, making his way across it without effort. 

You turned with a sigh, pulling out your phone. Foremost on the screen was a text from Ace. 

12:03 PM _  
Dude, where r u??? ___

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ignoring that RSA is actually far from NRC... Neige going back to class by helicopter 🚁🏃🏻


	3. Chapter 3

The punishment from Crewel for being tardy wasn’t exactly the most forgiving. Sitting at the lunch table, your back ached from the hours you spent scrubbing each desk in the classroom with soap and water. Not to mention having to clean the windows, which seemed to be the default chore assigned to students with more deviant behaviors (of which there was hardly a shortage of). It certainly wasn’t the first time you’ve done it. 

Did the windows even need to be cleaned at that point?

“Still tired from yesterday?” Deuce asked, interrupting the painful groan you let out after twisting your torso from side to side. 

“Yeah, it was torture,” you sighed. “Took me almost four hours. I could barely even walk by the time I went to bed...”

“Why were you even late to class in the first place?” Ace questioned. His tone was seeping with judgement. As if Ace Trappola, of all people, had the grounds to lecture you.

“Oh, I...” you started. Recalling your promise with Neige, telling the truth was definitely not an option. You’d have to tell a lie that managed to not rouse any curiosity...

“I went back to my dorm because I realized I left my homework there, and decided to take a nap because I had some extra time left over. I must have slept through my alarm...”

That would do. 

Ace gave you a suspicious look, but it quickly disappeared with a shrug. “Stupid move,” he scoffed. “What did I tell you about taking naps after lunch....”

“I can’t help it! Eating makes me tired,” you rebutted, prying the last bite of hamburg steak off of your fork. 

As much as you wanted to, Ace’s prior suspicions as well as your sore muscles prevented you from rushing out of the dining hall. Now was probably the best time to keep a low profile. 

You stretched your arms into the air before gripping onto your tray. “See you guys in Crewels class, okay? I promise I wont fall asleep.”

“Sure...” jeered Ace, nudging Deuce at his side. You rolled your eyes before turning swiftly in the direction of the exit. 

As you pushed open the heavy doors leading to the courtyard, you really did feel as though you could fall asleep, feet striding slowly through the grass. It was slightly damp from last night’s rain (of which you were thankful for, as it meant you only had to wash the inside portions of the windows). 

Reaching your destination, you sat on the thick edge of the stone well, observing the mud that had wedged into the soles of your shoes. If only the grass were dry. You could be curled up, the sunshine warming your body into a drowsy state until you slowly drifted off....

Head rested on the wooden support holding up the roof of the well, your eyes slid shut, mouth hanging open, thoughts quickly approaching the obscurity of dreams.

You were standing on the same tree trunk yesterday, Neige just in front of you. He was crouched on his knees, using a stick to disrupt the current in the water. 

Quietly, Ace’s voice suddenly broke through the sound of the running stream, calling your name. His volume increased with a rapid pace as he approached, seemingly seconds from passing through the trees and witnessing the both of you huddled on the makeshift bridge. 

Neige’s head turned quickly, a look of panic in his eyes. You whispered at him to hide as your legs attempted to run to meet Ace. Their pace was impossibly slow. Like moving through honey, it took incredible effort to go forward an mere inch.

Suddenly, your foot caught on an upright branch, breaking your languid progression. Your chest sunk, your body parallel with the shallow stream below, falling downwards until you hit the tense surface with a crack, water splashing high into the air above you. 

You gasped, eyes shooting open from the dream, palm digging into the wooden beam and sending something small and sharp deep into your skin. 

“Ow!” You cried, hopping off the edge of the well, barely coherent after the brief nightmare. Your steps were unstable, eyes unfocused as you brought your hand to your face, squinting to see where the splinter had punctured. 

After a few feeble attempts, you concluded it was too thin to take out with your fingernails. Sighing, you shook your hand to ward off some of the pain. 

“That’s the last time I’m sleeping there,” you muttered to yourself.

You headed left towards the fallen tree, hoping dearly that your dream wasn’t some sort of premonition. 

Just moments into your walk, the voice you were listening for sounded faintly in the distance. Your face breaking out into a grin, your pace picked up as you began to follow it. This time, thankfully, your legs were moving as normal. 

It was a new song today, and you wondered if he had made it up himself. You made a mental note to ask him later as you ducked under branches, a small flock of birds fluttering just above you. 

Your breath was high in your throat as you approached him, standing just at the edge of the water just a few feet away from you. Among the usual crop of animals, there was a small rabbit running sweetly between his feet.

You hummed with him, the notes leaving your lips slightly delayed in order to match his tune, footsteps continuing as you were almost close enough to touch him. 

He turned in an instant, his face meeting yours. 

“Hi, Yuu,” he spoke quietly. 

“Hi Neige,” you waved, feet stopping in their tracks, eyes darting somewhere to the side. 

Neige smiled softly, pulling the hat off of his hair with one hand and mussing his wavy hair with the other.

“How are you?” He asked, clearing his throat. “You look...a bit tired.”

You winced, wondering how terrible you must have looked for someone as polite as Neige to say something about it. You probably should have checked your reflection in the well water before heading over to find him. 

“Just a little. I was up late doing a lot of work for one of the teachers last night,” you started, purposefully leaving out the details of your punishment. “I fell asleep by the well a few minutes ago, but woke up suddenly because I wanted to meet you.”

“Really?” Neige asked, reaching to pet the rabbit between his feet, causing it to scurry away. 

“Yeah!” you replied, not positive of which element of the story he was surprised by. “What about you?”

“To be honest,” Neige replied, stretching his arms out to his sides. “I’m a bit tired too.”

“That’s right, you had work last night!” You recalled yesterday’s conversation, curious of the outcome. It wasn’t every day that you could get insider information on a celebrity’s work life. “How did it go?”

“It was fine,” said Neige, leaning to pick up a twig that was lodged between two rocks. “It ran a little bit later than I expected.”

“Yeah?”

Neige seemed a bit more subdued than his usual bright and cheerful self. If you were honest, it was a bit disturbing to witness.

“The director for the commercial was really picky,” Neige said quietly, drawing patterns in the water with the twig. “We had to do so many takes before I was allowed to go home...”

Your eyebrows furrowed at the sight in front of you that nearly mirrored that of your dream. You would have to keep your ears peeled for the sound of Ace calling your name, had it truly been a premonition. 

You approached Neige at the stream, crouching to his side. You stuck your palm into it, still sore from the splinter lodged in it. 

“Really?” you asked, your hand soothed instantly from the chilled water. “Why was the director so picky?” You wondered how common it was to work with difficult people as a celebrity. Maybe his job wasn’t so different from yours after all. 

“I’m not sure, I...” Neige spoke, letting go of the twig and letting it float down the stream. “He wanted me to deliver the lines in a way I wasn’t used to. So I guess I didn’t do very well...”

You scoffed, pulling your hand out of the water. “I can’t imagine that being the case. I’m sure you did fine. Some people just like to go looking for reasons to get angry.”

You directed the water that had cumulated on your fingertips in Neige’s direction, splashing him in the face. 

“Hey!” he flinched before standing up, a grin growing wide on his face. “What was that for!”

“You can’t worry so much about what other people think,” you said, shaking the rest of the water off of your hand. 

“But, because of my job, what people think is kind of important.”

He had a point. 

“Well, not enough to get so worked up about. I’m sure all of your fans will watch the commercial and love it,” you said, crossing your arms. “They’ll probably record the TV with their phones, and watch it over and over over again...”

Neige shook his head, laughing. You swore you saw a bit of embarrassment on his face in the form of flushed ears and cheeks. 

“They wouldn’t have to record it!” he retorted. “The ad will probably be on magicam, or something...”

“Or something? Not knowing the details of the job...how unprofessional,” you teased. 

You’d have to remember to check magicam later. 

Neige rolled his eyes, the smile that was still spread on his face making the gesture look wholly unconvincing. 

This Neige was much better than that of a few minutes ago. 

“Do you want to take a walk?” he spoke, pointing to the other side of the stream. “Theres an apple tree that I saw on my way over here, if you felt like a snack. I know we just had lunch, but...”

“No, that sounds delicious, actually.” 

Neige made his way forward, but you found yourself stopped at the edge of the tree trunk. 

“Yuu? Is everything alright?” he asked, turning around from his place halfway across the bridge. 

“Oh, it’s just... when I was asleep earlier, I had a dream that I tripped on this bridge and fell into the water.” You said, fully aware of how pathetic you sounded. “And I’m absolutely sure that it was some sort of prophecy.”

He laughed, returning to your side of the bridge. “Don’t worry, I’ll help you. You’re definitely not going to fall in.”

“You say that now...”

Gripping his hand, you winced as the pressure drove the splinter further into your palm. 

“Are you alright?” he asked, loosening his hold. 

“I got a splinter from the wooden part of the well when I woke up from that dream.” Your eyes were focused carefully on your feet as your crossed over the trunk

“Wow, it really hasn’t been your best afternoon, has it?” Neige stopped, turning around to face you. 

You wavered as your steps halted to match his. “The only thing that would make it worse is if I fell into this stream right now.”

“Does it hurt?” he asked, ignoring you as he held your palm to his face, observing it. 

“Yeah. It’s useless to try and get it out, though, I’ll need to get some tweezers to—

Neige’s lips were pressed flush to your skin, where they paused for the briefest moment before pulling back, his eyes looking up at you. 

“Does it feel better?”

You opened your mouth to answer, nothing but a whistle of air leaving your throat. 

Neige let out a small laugh, returning your palm to his hand and turning to continue across the bridge. “My mom always used to tell me that a kiss could make any wound feel better.”

“And you’re so sure that that’s true?” you jeered, voice finally returning to you. 

“I’d like to think so.”

Coming to your senses, you realized your feet were walking on grass rather than bark, but for how long you weren’t sure. You quickly retracted your hand from Neige’s grip, tucking it between your opposite arm and your waist. 

“See, right here! Neige said, running ahead and pointing to the tree above him. 

Your eyes widened; the tree’s branches were brimming with apples. Large, bright red, and impossibly shiny. 

“Wow, I wonder what this is doing here!” you called, voice labored as you jumped to pluck one of the fruit from the tree. It did look rather out of place compared to the rest of the foliage around the stream. 

Disregarding the damp soil below you, you settled comfortably on the grass and took a large bite. 

It was as delicious as it looked, the perfect combination of tangy and sweet, with a nice, firm texture. You hummed in approval, Neige following suit and sitting just across from you. 

“Isn’t it good?” you asked, just as he took a bite. You wished you could take a few of these back to Ace and Deuce without prompting any questions. 

“Really good!” he replied, wiping off a bit of the juice that had dripped down to the edge of his chin with the back of his sleeve. 

You found yourself eating quickly, leaning back, resting your weight at the edges of your palms as you chewed. Your eyes closed, the light breeze making the leaves above you rustle, chilling your face and ears. 

“What will you do this weekend?” Neige asked between bites, breaking the silence that had grown to be quite comfortable. 

You had nearly forgotten that it was Friday. The week, besides the time you spent slaving away for Crewel, seemed to have gone by faster than normal. 

“I’ll probably have to do something for the headmaster, as always,” you sighed, setting down the apple core after your last bite. “I had to deal with a ridiculous situation with one of the dorms just last week...”

“Really?” Neige questioned. “What happened?”

“It’s a bit of a long story. Someone was hypnotizing the dorm head and basically drove him to tyranny. I was held hostage in their dorm for a few weeks.”

“You...what?”

“I know, right?” you sighed as you shifted your position, knocking over the apple core and causing it to roll down into the brook below. “How about you? Do you have another job?”

Neige nodded, speaking only when he swallowed down the bite in his mouth. “My agency wants me to rehearse a new song with some of my classmates. Something about an upcoming competition...”

“Well, if it’s a competition...” you said, a sly grin on your face. “You’re sure to win.”

He took the last bite of his apple, chewing slowly. 

“Yeah,” he muttered, something like doubt settled deep within his voice. 

Neige set the apple core down on the grass, flicking it with the back of his hand so it, too, rolled down to the edge of the water. 

You tilted your head to the side, frowning. You’d never imagine that someone like Neige would appear to be so unsure of himself.

It was a far cry from the Neige that sang freely,   
eyes focused on the small creatures that eagerly surrounded him. Far from the Neige that confidently helped you across the bridge, making sure to distract you from your worries along the way. 

He stood, offering a hand to pull you up from the grass, corners of his mouth upturned. 

“I should be heading back. It’s nearly time for class,” he said, putting his phone back in his pocket after checking the time. 

“Oh no, I didn’t even think to check the time...”

“Don’t worry. 12:45. We won’t be late like yesterday!”

You wondered if he had received any sort of punishment for tardiness as well. You highly doubted Royal Sword would hire any teacher of the same caliber as Crewel, though. 

“I’ll see you on Monday,” you waved. 

“See you then!”

Neige turned, hand brushing against the surface off the apple tree before passing behind it. 

You looked back towards Night Raven College, only now realizing the water that stood between you and your destination. 

You’d really have to make sure not to fall in on your way back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for reading so far! I never really anticipated posting something as embarrassing as this lol but I’m glad if you’ve enjoyed it!
> 
> I’m planning on one more chapter, but it just may be split into two because of its length!
> 
> Also the apples aren’t poisonous dw


	4. Chapter 4

Rolling over to your side, your eyes pried open for the first time in several hours, despite already being awake. It wasn’t often that you had a Saturday morning to yourself, with no prior obligations. You’d halfway been expecting Crowley to message you while you feigned sleep, asking you to meet him urgently.

You yawned, pulling your phone out from where it had gotten tangled in your sheets as you slept. Surprisingly, throughout the night, it had somehow ended up somewhere at your feet.

You opened it, confirming that there were no unread messages. Despite the fact, you were still uneasy. Crowley could come knocking at your hypothetical door any minute now, asking you to solve some sort of deep-seated structural issue within the school.

Honestly, you’d rather wash the windows.

You checked the time at the top of your screen. 11:23 AM. It wasn’t like you to stay in bed for so long...maybe the after effects of Crewel’s punishment were still to blame.

At least you made it to class on time yesterday. Even though you’d rather wash the windows than work for Crowley, you still were far from willing to go through that particular form of torture again.

You thought back to what Neige said yesterday afternoon, just before you made your way to class. Something about a competition...

The conversation played back through your mind. Wasn’t he acting a bit strange yesterday? He certainly seemed upset about something.

You shifted onto your stomach, propping yourself up on your elbows while opening magicam on your phone.

Your feed, as usual, was inundated with posts by Cater. It was as if he posted once every hour. You wished you could mute him, but he’d definitely find out about it some way or another. Absentmindedly, you scrolled through and liked all of them. You supposed you could call yourself an excellent friend...

You sighed, tapping the search bar and covering your face with embarrassment as you typed.

‘N...’

Neige’s account popped up instantly and, despite your better judgment, you clicked onto it.

Wait...5.5 million followers? Was this guy for real?

You felt a little dizzy. You knew Neige was famous, of course. You had overheard Cater and Ace, among others, talk about him from time to time. But...5.5 million followers?

His page was a mixture of professional shots, nature photos, and the occasional selfie. Mostly out of shame, you felt your heartbeat ring in your ears as you clicked the latest one.

It was a video. Wait... this must have been the advertisement he was talking about earlier! Who knew these things had such a fast turnover rate.

You watched the short video, rolling your eyes as it went. Sure, his lines sounded a little different than his usual self, but he did an objectively good job. You found yourself smiling along with him as the video finished.

Catching yourself, you shook your head, raking a hand through your hair as you scrolled to the next post.

It was a photo of him, presumably on set, smiling to the camera as a stylist was fixing his hair with a comb. Standing in the corner, there was someone who looked really familiar...

Was that...the dorm head of Pomefiore?

Neige never mentioned having other friends at Night Raven College. You knew the dorm head was quite famous, though... birds of a feather, you guessed.

You scrolled down once more. It felt weird and invasive, even though it was a public account that anyone could access, but you couldn’t help but to continue.

Your eyes widened in surprise. It was a picture of a red apple in his hand, a tree in the background. You checked the date... sure enough, it was posted yesterday.

Did he really take that without you even noticing? You supposed you weren’t always the most observant...

You swiped again. This time, it was a picture he took of himself, grinning, with a small bluebird sitting right at his shoulder.

Your felt the corners of your lips turn upwards, face growing warm. What a sweet picture...

You jumped, a loud notification startling you.

11:45 PM  
Headmaster (Crowley)  
Hello, Yuu. I hope you’re having a good morning. I require your assistance at the library today. Can you be there by 12?

You threw your phone aggressively into the mattress, burying your face into your pillow and letting out a large groan.

——————

The weekend’s tasks, thankfully, weren’t as arduous as you anticipated. After summoning you, Crowley explained to you that, while doing his research, he discovered that a large section of the library was incorrectly archived.

After 12 hours of reorganization spread out over two days (why the school didn’t have a proper librarian was beyond you), you were finally free.

Sometimes, you really wished you weren’t indebted to the headmaster. Or at least possessed a little bit of magic to help you along the way. It would have made a world of a difference over the weekend. If you were allowed a magic pen, you could have simply waved it to grab the books from the highest shelf, rather than climbing all the way up and down the ladder over and over again.

Your legs were still sore as you walked between Ace and Deuce, textbooks in hand. Honestly, you didn’t really have any idea of why you attended class if you couldn’t even use the skills that were being presented. Curiosity, you supposed. After the weekend, though, you never wanted to look at another book in your life.

“Ace, look” said Deuce suddenly, standing a few feet behind you and starting intently at the wall.

You and Ace ran over to him, checking to see what exactly he was pointing at.

“No way!” shouted Ace, much too loudly in your ear. You couldn’t help but to glare at him.

“It seems to be some sort of audition for upcoming culture festival...” Deuce muttered, shooting an expectant look at Ace.

His brows knit together, finger tracing along the poster as he slowly read it out loud.

“Come on, dude, any day now!” said Ace, pushing him out of the way. “If you’re selected as a finalist your team will receive 5 million madol...Deuce, we gotta enter this!”

You laughed, rolling your eyes and pushing between them to get a better look at the poster.

Vocal and Dance Championship...  
Oh. Wait a minute.

“Are Royal Sword Academy participating in this too?” you asked, trying to skim the fine print.

“I’d be shocked if they weren’t.” Ace replied. “It’s a festival, after all. It’ll probably be something like the Magift tournament...”

“Ugh, if Royal Sword is going, we’re really going to have to step our game up...” Deuce said, shaking his head.

You backed up from the poster, Ace and Deuce turning to look at you expectantly.

“So... Yuu...” Ace started, scratching the side of his head. “Do you think you could help us come up with a song, or something?”

You sighed, the nuance of the situation already giving you a headache. “I mean, I guess so...”

“All right!” Yelled Deuce, meeting Ace for a high five before following you down the hallway to the cafeteria.

It seemed like everyone in the dining hall was chattering about the competition.

“So, Ace, let’s go to the gym to practice right after class, okay?” Deuce said between mouthfuls, practically bouncing in his seat.

“Yeah!” Ace said, propping his elbow on the table and resting his head on his palm. “Man, imagine if we actually end up winning this thing...”

“The competition is going to be pretty rough though, right?” you said, trying to sound nonchalant as you took a big spoonful of fried rice out of your bowl.

“I mean, how bad can it be? We’ll definitely crush them!” Ace exclaimed.

“Doesn’t Royal Sword have like...famous people going there, though?” Deuce said.

Ace’s confident smile faltered for a moment. “Oh yeah. Right. But...we can totally take them!”

“Are you positive?” said a voice that leaned in between Ace and Deuce’s heads, causing the three of you to jump.

Cater laughed, holding up his phone and showing you something on magicam.

“Look, it’s Neige Leblanche’s team! He’s probably been practicing for this for way longer than the two of you.”

Actually, he only started practicing this weekend, you thought to yourself.

Sure enough, Cater had pulled up the latest picture on Neige’s magicam, a candid photo of him laughing along with a group of other Royal Sword students.

“W-well!” said Ace. “Leave your judgement for when we actually audition! Yuu is even writing a song for us!”

“Oh realllly,” said Cater, raising his eyebrows playfully in your direction.

“I mean, I guess so...” you shrugged.

He gave you a thumbs up. “Well, I wish you guys luck. I’ll be auditioning too, so see you around!”

You shook your head, a smile growing on your face. It was as if the atmosphere at school had completely changed from last week. It never failed to amuse you how easily everyone got worked up.

You stood, hooking the edges of the lunch tray with your fingertips. “I guess I gotta go work on your guys’ song. See you in Crewel’s”

“Yesss!” cheered Deuce. “I mean... see you!”

You checked the contents of your bag before leaving, making sure you hadn’t forgotten your pencil case in the previous class.

The sun had been out all weekend, allowing you to happily spread out on the grass once you reached the stone well. Fishing through your bag, you pulled out a spare notebook and a pencil, opening it in front of you.

Drawing makeshift lines on the paper to form a stave, you began humming to yourself, writing down notes as you went along.

Ace and Deuce would probably want something that sounded cool and edgy. It wasn’t anything particularly special, but you think they’d be pleased that you at least came up with something, no matter the quality.

As you wrote, you wondered what Neige’s song sounded like. You wondered if he’d be upset to know that you were taking part in the competition in some capacity. Normally, you wouldn’t think that would be the case, but after how strangely he acted on Friday when you mentioned it...

It was obvious to you that he would most likely win. No matter how much you cared for Ace and Deuce, there didn’t seem like any way they could go up against...

That voice...

The movement of your pencil halted, dropping down onto the page as you hurriedly hoisted yourself up and made your way to the edge of the water.

As you ran, it was like a feeling of elation, hands brushing past branch and bush until you stopped yourself, arm hooking around a thin birch tree.

“Neige!” you called, waving your arm to greet him, your voice labored.

“Oh, hi Yuu!” he waved back.

You took a seat on a nearby rock, catching your breath.

“What was the hurry for?” he laughed, chasing a small frog until it jumped onto the water.

“No reason,” you huffed. “How was your weekend?”

“Oh, it was fine.” he said, picking up a small stone and throwing it into the stream, the current preventing it from skipping. “I got to spend some time with my friends during practice. I usually don’t get to see them much outside of class, so I was really glad!”

You smiled. He looked much less troubled than he did on Friday.

“What about you? Did you have to work for the headmaster?” he asked.

“Yes... but it wasn’t nearly as bad as I was expecting. I just had to organize a section of the library. But it would have been so much easier if I could have used magic...”

“Wait,” Neige started, turning towards you. “You couldn’t use magic?”

Your mouth dropped open. Because everyone at Night Raven was well aware of your situation, it never crossed your mind that you hadn’t told Neige about it.

“I guess I just never mentioned it to you,” you started, pulling up your knees from where you sat on the rock. “But I’m non-magical. I was brought to Night Raven College by mistake, I guess. But the headmaster allowed me to stay under the condition that I help him around the school with things.”

“Wow...” Neige whispered, looking downwards.

You halfway expected an expression of pity, but it never came. Neige just kept his face on the water in front of him.

“But...anyways...” you started, breaking the silence. “Everyone at school is talking about the new festival...”

“Oh!” said Neige, finally looking upwards. “Right. That’s what I was practicing for this weekend. I was sure you would hear about it soon enough!”

“Some of my friends are trying to audition,” you laughed, standing up and picking up a stone. “They want me to write a song for them.”

You tried skipping the stone against your better judgement, and it quickly sank upon hitting the surface.

Neige grinned in your direction, eyes shutting as he did so. “I’m sure it’ll be great,” he said, voice nearly a whisper. “I hope I’ll get to hear it in the competition.”

You sighed in relief. “Oh, I’m not so sure that it’ll get that far...”

“You never know!” he said, turning towards you. “And you never told me you wrote music before. I’m learning a lot of new things today...”

“Oh, I really don’t. I’ve never really tried it seriously before, besides just humming to myself.”

“It’s easy!” he said, suddenly running ahead of you. “You just make it up as you go, like this...”

Following a deep breath, he began to sing. He was walking along the side of the water, hopping from rock to rock.

_When the light between the trees  
Onto the water gleams_

You followed, his makeshift tune and improvised words coming from your lips just moments after his. The melody was beautiful, if a bit unusual.

The tune began to repeat, frogs bouncing just by your side, the birds congregating above the two of you. The strange song suddenly became more natural, and your found yourself memorizing all of the words.

_When the light between the trees  
Onto the water gleams  
For you know that you can find me  
Just across the stream_

You increased your pace, trying to keep up with him as the both of you sang, the melody becoming more and more familiar with each iteration.

Squirrels, deer, mice; it was as if every animal living along the stream had formed a pack, lining the perimeter around Neige, your footsteps just behind him until he stopped in the middle of a grassy circle of trees.

You approached him, the song still continuing, the tune easily coming from your throat, louder, more freely than anything had ever before.

_When the light between the trees  
Onto the water gleams  
For you know that you can find me  
Just across the stream_

You faced him, grabbing his hand within yours as you sang.

It felt as if every emotion that you had ever known was bubbling forth within your chest, heart pounding furiously against it until you couldn’t take it anymore.

The volume of the birds above you grew even louder, your legs trembling to the point where you felt as though you could fall down at any moment.

_For you know that you can find me  
Just across the stream_

“Neige,” you spoke, breaking the repetition of the chorus.

_When the light between the trees  
Onto the water gleams_

“Neige, I...

He followed suit, the birds taking a moment before flying away at once, creatures clearing the area as if a loud noise had just sounded.

“Yes?”

“Neige...I think I really like you,” you spoke, voice barely audible as it shook along with your trembling hand, your quick pulse that made your throat nearly seal shut.

It was something that you seemed to be admitting to yourself as well as him. You couldn’t say what made it come out of you so suddenly. You nearly regretted it the instant you heard the words from your own mouth.

You looked upwards, meeting an expression that you’d never expected to see.

The whites of Neige’s eyes seemed to be a dull red, hands tightly gripping his upper arms. His body seemed to be swaying from side to side. For a moment, you thought he was going to be sick.

“No, you don’t,” he whispered, voice completely muddled by his wavering throat.

Your brows furrowed in shock. “Neige, what are you talking about?”

“No, you dont!” he said louder, the look of anguish on his face completely distorting his features.

You could hardly believe the sight in front of you.

“Of course I do, Neige,” you said, voiced hushed to try to calm him down. “Why else would I say something like that?”

“You don’t like me, Yuu,” he said, wiping his eyes with the back of his sleeve. “You like my unique magic.”

“Neige, really, what are you talking about? Controlling animals is cool and all, but I wouldn’t really go as far as to say that’s why I like you...”

“My unique magic isn’t controlling animals.”

“What?”

“My unique magic...” he started, his entire body visibly trembling.

“My unique magic is that I can attract any living thing with my voice.”

Your eyes widened, thinking back to the time you met Neige.

You stopped everything that you were doing, following the voice that you heard in the distance.

The strange feeling of euphoria that rushed within you whenever Neige sang. The way you immediately rushed to meet him whenever you heard it. How you hummed along, as if lulled into a state of happiness. How the animals seemed to run away or disobey him whenever he stopped singing.

“Is... that really true?” you asked.

He nodded his head. “I can’t control it. Whenever I sing, it happens.”

“Are you serious?”

“I hate it,” Neige whispered. “I hate it more than anything. I would do anything to get rid of it.”

“Why do you say that?” you said, taking a step back. “That’s a really powerful and special ability!”

“It’s the only reason why I’m famous, Yuu,” he muttered. “People hear my voice and they’re dragged in. I can pass any audition, or...win any competition...and I don’t deserve any of it.”

“I...but you can’t really say...”

“And what’s going to happen when people find out?” he continued, voice quickly approaching hysteria. “Everyone will turn their back on me. They might even hate me. And there’s nothing I can do about it!”

“Neige...”

“And I even used it on you! And you can’t even use magic! You didn’t have any way to defend yourself...”

You winced. “Neige, really...”

“I used you,” he whispered.

“Don’t be ridiculous...”

“I was using you. To practice controlling my unique magic,” he uttered, voice weak. “I didn’t want to have to use it anymore. But it didn’t work... of course it didn’t work...”

“You... you what?”

You finally were given the chance to speak. The ground seemed to shift from under you, vision beginning to blur.

“Yuu, I’m so sorry...”

Your mouth opened wide with shock, the hot tears that had welled within your eyes threatening to spill out should you have moved a mere inch.

Your voice was held high within your throat, unable to come out. Not a single word was willing to leave your lips as you stared at Neige, his face puffy and red, the grimace on his lips unwavering.

You couldn’t think of anything else to do.

You turned. And you ran.

The tears finally spilled silently downwards on your cheeks as your feet moved as fast as they could.

Reaching the well, you aggressively picked up your discarded notebook on the grass, crinkling the page you were writing on in the process. Shoving it in your bag, you made your way to Crewel’s class, footsteps so heavy they nearly punctured the grass.

At only a few steps forward, you ran back to the well, checking your reflection. Your eyes were swollen, cheeks brighter and larger than usual.

You cupped some of the water in your hands, splashing it on your face.

You checked your phone.  
12:56 PM.  
Your legs broke out into a run once more.

——————

By some miracle, you made it into Crewel’s class with only about 30 seconds to spare.

Though, to be honest, considering the day that you had, if he threatened to have you wash the desks and windows again you would have outright refused.

5 minutes into class, Ace was nudging into your side.

“Yo, Yuu,” he whispered. “You ok?”

You gave him a noncommittal nod, gesturing your head over to Crewel, reminding him that they could easily get in trouble for talking at any moment.

By the time class had ended, Ace cornered you once more.

“Yuu, did something happen?”

“No? What makes you think that something happened?”

“I don’t know, it’s just your face, I guess...”

“Oh, great, thanks,” you rolled your eyes, your voice cracking.

“Okay, something definitely happened!”

“Did not!” you yelled. “Look, I even wrote your stupid song during break!”

“No way, for real!” Ace did a little jump as he grabbed the wrinkled paper from your hands, his attention completely diverted.

Deuce peered over to it to, the both of them studying it for a minute.

“Uhh... I can’t read this,” said Ace.

“Me neither,” joined Deuce.

“Oh my god,” you sighed, snatching the paper from their hands. “It’s fine, I’ll teach it to you.”

You headed over to the gym, the two of them trailing behind you. Opening the doors, you turned around to face them.

“And you’d better do good, because we’re totally gonna win this thing.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The plot 🤲🏻  
> Was ridiculous doing all of the buildup for this, so I hope it surprised you!  
> This is my headcanon for Neige’s unique magic! I like to think all of the royal sword characters have a relatively benevolent unique magic that is also a bit exploitative... like a double edged sword... get it...
> 
> Also I love writing Ace and Yuu way more than expected, what if this just turned into an aceyuu fic...haha....unless....
> 
> Also lol I completely forgot to mention that i totally wrote grim out of this fic cuz i am...not doing that


End file.
